2016 Champions - Johns Hopkins
The Basics
• Score: Johns Hopkins 3, Swarthmore 2 (24-26, 28-30, 25-22, 25-17, 15-10)
• Records: JHU (19-8, 10-0 CC), Swarthmore (23-5, 8-2 CC)
• Location: Baltimore, MD · Goldfarb Gymnasium
• The Short Story: The top-seeded Johns Hopkins volleyball won the final three sets to defeat second-seeded Swarthmore 3-2 in the 2016 Centennial Conference Championship. Freshman Louisa Kishton picked up MVP honors, leading the Blue Jays with 20 kills in the championship match.
How it Happened
• The offenses came out strong for both teams as Swarthmore earned a tough 26-24 victory over Hopkins in the opening set. The Garnet worked out to a 7-1 lead and carried it until a kill by Elizabeth Wuerstle tied the match 18-18. The teams fought through five more ties before Swarthmore ultimately won the set. The Blue Jay offense recorded 18 kills and only two errors in the first set, as Louisa Kishton and Ally Hirsch tallied six and five kills, respectively, and no errors. While Hopkins held the advantage in kills, digs and blocks in the opening set, the Swarthmore servers added three aces.
• The teams required extra points again in the second set, with Swarthmore coming out on top 30-28. The close play featured 13 tied scores, with JHU’s 14-9 lead marking the largest lead by either team in the set. Each team played strong at the net, with both tallying two solo blocks and four block assists. Kishton recorded six kills for the second straight set, while the Hopkins servers also stepped up with four aces, including two by Esther Hong. Hong also contributed nine digs for a set-high 35 by the Blue Jays.
• Facing a loss, Johns Hopkins shut off a Garnet run at the end of the set to win the third 25-22. Hirsch led the Blue Jays with five kills in the set, while Sarah Elnozahy dished out double-digit assists for the third straight set. Elnozahy also served the lone ace of the set for Hopkins. JHU’s defense was also consistent in the third set, recording more digs than Swarthmore for the third set in a row, with Elnozahy leading the team with four.
• The Blue Jays forced a fifth set with a 25-17 win as their defense stepped up and the team took advantage of Garnet errors. Johns Hopkins held Swarthmore to a .000 hitting percentage, forcing nine errors by the Garnet. Hopkins, on the other hand, limited its errors and recorded 12 kills, with Wuerstle leading the team with five in the set. Kristi Rhead also notched two solo blocks to aid the Blue Jay defense in JHU’s strongest set victory.
• Johns Hopkins rode its momentum into the fifth set, working out to a 6-0 lead before ultimately winning 15-10. Elnozahy began the set at the service line and guided the offense with eight assists, while Wuerstle and Hirsch each tallied three kills in the final set, with neither recording an error. Hirsch and Sasha Gorelik blocked an attack from Swarthmore to close out the set with the 15-10 win and the Blue Jays’ fourth Centennial Conference Championship.
Inside the Box Score
• Centennial Conference tournament MVP Louisa Kishton set multiple single-match career-highs against Swarthmore, tallying 20 kills and 20 digs. Kishton has finished with double-figures in kills and digs two other times this season, including in the semifinal against Haverford.
• Four Blue Jays (Esther Hong, Kishton, Elizabeth Wuerstle, and Sarah Elnozahy) either tied or set single-match career-high marks in digs. Elnozahy and Hong also set career bests in assists with 54 and 10, respectively.
• Senior Ally Hirsch added a career-high 17 kills to JHU’s total. Hirsch, Wuerstle and Kishton each recorded at least 17 kills in the match. This is the eighth time that at least three Blue Jays have reached double-digit kills in a match this season.
What it Means
• After dropping two matches in a row heading into 2016, Johns Hopkins has won two straight matches against Swarthmore, defeating the Garnet in five sets for the second time this season.
• The Blue Jays now hold a 26-6 record against Swarthmore all-time.
• JHU’s eight five-set matches all-time against the Garnet are the second most five-set matches against a Centennial Conference opponent (Franklin & Marshall 12) and third most against any opponent. Johns Hopkins holds a 7-1 record against Swarthmore in matches that go to five sets.
• Johns Hopkins is 2-1 in five-set matches this season.
Centennial Championship Spotlight
• The Blue Jays improve their record as the first seed in the Centennial Conference tournament to 4-2, winning the Championship as the host for the second time, and improve their record in the championship match to 4-3.
• This is the first championship match in which a team has overcome a two-set deficit to win. Last season, Haverford defeated Swarthmore in the semifinals after dropping the first two sets.
• This is the fifth Centennial Conference Championship to go to five sets, with neither team previously playing in a five-set championship match.
Up Next
• With the championship victory, Johns Hopkins earns the Centennial Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
• The Blue Jays will make their fourth appearance in six years and first since 2013.